


Super Soldier’s Pocket Manual

by superfxckboy



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, Invasion of Privacy, M/M, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, eugenics for the sake of war, great feats of strength and recklessness, politics and the value of human life, super soldiers being human weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 12:10:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12189750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/superfxckboy/pseuds/superfxckboy
Summary: When two genetic abominations love each other very much and are genetically compatible, terrorist groups steal their DNA to make a perfect super soldier. Gabriel tries to deal with this.





	Super Soldier’s Pocket Manual

**Author's Note:**

> if i have to look at this chapter anymore i will d e s t r o y myself, so i'll have to edit it when i'm less growly. 
> 
> for the wild animals at the r76 discord, the big bang authors and artists from last round and specifically for one (1) Rimsha who has threatened my life over this fic many, many times.
> 
> i'll update when i can. enjoy.

Gabriel woke with a jolt, his hand wrapped around Jesse’s wrist. The agent had an unimpressed look on his face as he nodded toward the hand on his wrist.

 

“We’re getting ready to land, Boss,” Jesse said, unphased. He tugged lightly and Gabriel let him go, bringing the hand up to rub his eyes.  “I’m ready to sleep for a week.”

 

“You can sleep for two days,” Gabriel replied quietly, rubbing his thumb over his wristband to bring up his holographic console. They were indeed close to landing – he could feel the telltale drop in his stomach as their pilot made the descent. “Did you still want that hotel?”

 

“Why? Did you want me to be around when you and Morrison make smooches at each other?” Jesse stuck his tongue out before plopping back in his seat and buckling his seatbelts across his chest and lap. “Rather not, if it’s all the same to ya.”

 

“Don’t be crass, he's not even in the States right now.” Gabriel had promised Jesse two days of sleep in a hotel of his choosing, but Jesse had forgotten the caveat of “his choosing” and so Gabe had forgotten to book the hotel in the first place. Fortunately, his credit card maximum meant any hotel was open to him as long as he booked a suite instead of a room.

 

McCree’s eyes slipped shut the second he leaned his head back, and Gabriel tutted in sympathy. Their mission had been three weeks undercover in West Indies. Locals found McCree to be a little darling – at nineteen, he was still full of a youthful charm that had drew people to him; his easy going manner, calm of speech and charming smile. Playing clueless foreigner was entirely too easy for him, while Gabriel spent his time searching for the hit man they were supposed to be tailing.

 

As McCree dozed, and the jet came down, Gabriel quickly found an open hotel with an open suite. He sighed at the price, but figured he’d just get Jack to sign off on it as an expense.

 

“Landing now, Commander,” came the pilot’s somehow cheerful voice. 

 

This evening was his and Jack's six year anniversary, and as usual, he and Jack were apart. If he were in a sulkier mood, he'd say it's their _third_ year of not getting to spend the evening together. But, he knew Jack had been called out to mediate the exact issue that Gabriel was _in_ the West Indies for. But, Jesse wanted the two days stateside, and Gabriel couldn't bring himself to deny the kid.

 

The stroll after landing was quiet. Jesse's exhaustion was obvious from the way he waved off picking up anything but his duffel bag. The rest would be flown back to base, and Gabriel assumed that Jesse was going to spend the next two days melting Gabriel's credit card in the hotel's restaurant and spending 10 hours a day sleeping.

 

“C'mon, kid,” Gabriel clapped Jesse's shoulder, urging the yawning teen along. “I'll drive you to your hotel.”

 

“Uber's fine, Boss. Go home.” Jesse already had his phone out, dangling it out for Gabriel to take. “Just put in the address an' I'll let you know when I get there.”

 

“You're sure?”

 

“Yeah, I'm good; go home already.”

 

Gabriel shot Jesse a _look_ that made him grin, but he keyed in the hotel's address and gave Jesse his phone back. “Go to _sleep_ when you get there.”

 

Jesse snorted. “Nah, I was gonna go to the gym and work out-- why wouldn't I go to sleep?”

 

Gabe reached out to scruff his brown hair before patting Jesse on the back. “Call if you need anything.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

With a two fingered salute, Jesse plopped down on one of the benches, waiting for his ride, while Gabriel left the airport's lobby, deciding that taking the Overway would be a little faster.

 

He and Jack owned a loft just outside LA, a three bedroom with high ceilings, stellar security and plenty of privacy. Jack's youngest sister lives in the apartment under them, and generally took care of the place if they were both deployed, or simply overseas. It was great, the home still looked lived in with no dust from months of non-use. Even though they both referred to the Watchpoint bases as home when the occasion called for it, the loft was _home_ , it had their pictures, their memories, Jack's bike and two cars, and the kitchen and sun room that Gabriel had renovated with his own hands.

 

'It'll be nice to sleep in my own goddamn bed for once,' Gabriel thought to himself, throwing his bag into the seat next to him before sitting himself down. The Overway was clean and quick, magnets rushing the train along faster than pure electricity could, running over and around the city to get people to where they needed to be faster than the highway, _and_ subway, making public transportation the easiest option, even if one had a car.

 

Plus, the seats leaned back, the carriages were air conditioned and LA was still a boiling hell at times.

 

He and Jack were – he couldn’t say a _thing_ because that wasn’t the right word to give to what they were. Stronger than dating, or being boyfriends, even though Gabriel was more than content to call Jack his boyfriend. At times it felt stronger than being married, because they already had that sort of intimacy between them. It simply felt deeper than that. It’s love, obviously; _storge_ , Gabriel had described it to Jack once, built from a friendship forged by fire and war.

 

He doesn’t remember when they fell in love – they were always friends, always close, loved each other with a pull that could only come from trust. Adding sex and commitment to the mix didn’t change what was between them, just added another layer to their already easy relationship.

 

But since Jack had become Strike Commander and Gabriel was asked to take on the dirty work of Blackwatch's task forces, it felt like their friendship – the basis of their entire romantic entanglement, the basis of their intimacy with each other – had become cold and professional. They still loved each other, that much was obvious from the way Gabriel's heart ached at the thought of going home to an empty house but average couples didn't have to completely divorce their relationship from their jobs, lest they be accused of favoritism, (of what, Gabriel will never know, considering all of his work is entirely dependent on the U.N. as opposed to Jack himself making the orders) and distracting. As it stood, however, they were the last two super soldiers, and they could both very easily walk if they wanted to, which meant everyone else who didn't approve just had to grit their teeth.

 

Their loft was dark when Gabriel finally made it back, keying in his code and having the house scan his hand. The door opened with a hiss and Gabriel yawned softly, feeling a little tension fall from his shoulders as he stepped into the lobby and trekked up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

 

“What's-- that smell,” Gabriel muttered to himself as he got closer to their loft. Either Laura was in there, in her underwear as she often was when she was housesitting, or--

 

“Jack?” Gabriel called as the door hissed open.

 

“Hey, babe!” Jack crowed from his cross legged position on the couch. The man was in his boxers and long socks, a habit Gabriel had never been able to break him from, but he looked good. Happy. Tired, probably, but all the super soldier serum in the world wouldn't make his job any easier, so tired he always was but--

 

“Missed you,” Jack greeted as he strolled over to where Gabriel was standing. He dropped his duffel to accept the hug Jack had his arms open for, but Jack instead picked him up and spun him around, kissing his neck. “You okay? Tired?”

 

Jack had put him down but Gabriel still felt like he was still floating. “Tired. Would it be weird to ask you who's dick you sucked to get here?”

 

“Reinhardt's,” Jack replied cheekily, lacing his fingers with Gabriel's and leaning down to throw his bag on the couch. “I have to get Torb make him a new hammer from scratch. Torb updates his all the time but Rein just wants a new one. So I have to convince him to do it.”

 

Gabriel snorted, squeezing Jack's hand in return. “So you ditched.”

 

“It's not ditching if I left a more than adequate substitute.” Jack was tugging Gabe to the kitchen, smiling brighter as they stepped in. “And it's our anniversary. I don't think the world is going to end this evening.”

 

“And just 'cause you said that--”

 

“ _Don't_ ,”

 

“I'm just saying.”

 

“And I'm just saying that I spent like most of today trying to make your favorite pork tamales, and you want the Earth to get grilled by robot extremists _again_ but the U.N. will personally blame me for it this time.”

 

Gabe tugged his hand out of Jack's grasp to wrap an army around his waist instead. “I don't even know where to start there; should I mention that paranoia, the anxiety fueled clean up job in here, or the fact that I know you spent at least three hours on the phone with my mom to make this.”

 

“Let's start with your mom-- she called my kitchen habits lackluster but then she said at least I can follow directions and clean up after myself.”    

 

Gabriel reached around to pluck one of the tamales from under the cloth Jack had set them under. They were still hot, but he could still unwrap them with one hand, and hold Jack closer with the other.

 

“Consider this, though.” Gabriel started as Jack reached around to grab a tamale for himself. “Me and you, two days alone, and you're already in your underwear.”

 

Jack snorted. “Happy anniversary, babe.”

 

“Happy anniversary.” Gabriel pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek, reveling in his warmth, his smile, the fact that Jack was _his_ and the thought of being next to him, like this, for the rest of his life and Gabriel had to smother a smile into Jack's neck.

 

“You didn't _just_ make tamales, right?” Gabriel asked, lifting his head.

 

Jack's eyes narrowed playfully, shoving the rest of his tamale in his mouth. “I would have to make like, fifty, minimum and that's just for you. I made a bunch of other things, if you would get your face out of them.”

 

“They're good, almost like Ma's.”

 

“High praise.” Jack clicked his tongue. “Rice and black beans, she taught me how to make cactus salad-- why the _fuck_ didn't I know you could eat a cactus--”

 

Gabriel huffed a laugh.

 

“And soup.”

 

“And soup?”

 

“I know its August, but it's really good.”

 

“Mmm, you just finished it?”

 

“Right before you got here; I tracked your jet so everything would be ready when you got home.” Jack's brows furrowed. “Why? Aren't you hungry?”

 

Gabriel didn't answer, and moved a little closer, rubbing the tip of his nose against Jack's. “I'm always hungry.”

 

A warm look crossed Jack's face, his lips upturning into his playful, crooked grin before he leaned forward to press his lips against Gabriel's.

 

It was soft and sweet, the kind of kiss that would seem shy to anyone looking, but it was affection and trust; Jack's arms had looped around Gabriel's waist as he sighed into the kiss. Gabriel ran his thumbs over Jack's cheeks, cupped his jaw, and _God_ he missed this. He missed Jack, because even though they lived in close quarters, there was no way to ban work talk in their suite, there was no way to shut out the fact that on the base they were always the Commanders. But here, _home_ , they didn't have to worry about it. Jack was just Gabe's boyfriend who hated wearing clothes and was actually pretty shitty about cleaning up after himself and could drink hooch that could melt a lesser man's stomach.

 

If they could just do this, if they could just have the time to be themselves with each other, where no one got between them, and they weren't always apart, Gabriel probably wouldn't be so worried about them. As it stood though, Gabriel knew the second they went back overseas, this quiet moment of having Jack in his arms, warm and relaxed, would just be a memory to cling to.

 

“Let's eat.” Jack said, snapping Gabriel out of his thoughts. He pecked Gabriel's lips again before pulling away. “You're cute, but I'm starving and I heard your stomach complaining.”

 

Gabriel let himself be dragged by Jack's hands on his wrists to their kitchen. They had a dining room, but it was for guests, and when it was just the two of them, they sat close at the island, often eating straight out of whatever pot they cooked in. Jack was determined though, leading Gabriel to one of the stools and making him a plate before sitting down himself.

 

“What are you up to?” Gabriel asked, watching as Jack watched him with a dopey look on his face.

 

“It's our anniversary, Reyes.” Jack flicked a wayward bean from the counter at his boyfriend. “Unclench, we've got nowhere to be. Besides bed.”

 

“Smooth, Morrison.”

 

Later, Gabriel thought to himself, yeah, Jack was pretty smooth when he wanted to be. They were tangled up on the couch, Gabriel's back to Jack's chest, legs looped together in a way that would take effort to untangle, watching a Die Hard movie. It was a fairly recent one, Gabriel didn't recognize it at all.

 

“Do you think Andrew Willis will ever stop trying to be his uncle?” Jack mused, snaking his arm up Gabriel's top.

 

“Probably around when _you_ stop trying to be him, I guess.”

 

“Dick.”

 

“Takes one to know one.”

 

“Speaking of dicks--” Jack started, plucking a few popcorn kernels from Gabe’s hand. “Is Jesse okay?”

 

“He's fine. He'll sleep for ten hours, eat his weight in food and go back to sleep for another ten hours and the jet will be back to get him.”

 

“Only his weight? So he's cut back?”

 

“Coming from a man that can eat seven thousand calories in a day? Let the kid grow.”

 

“Any bigger than that and he'll be taller than you.” Jack pressed his lips against Gabriel's forehead. “Is your sister really pregnant?”

 

Gabriel groaned. “Yes. This'll be my sixth niece, I swear to God, she's going to have another girl. Calling it now, and I'll win like the last two times.”

 

“To be fair, it's not like all six nieces are hers?”

 

“Add together the probably six nieces and my four nephews--”

 

“Plus _my_ four nephews and niece.” Jack shuddered. “That's just way too many kids, and I still like having sex without having to plan a night for it. I'm fine being the fun uncle who sends expensive presents for their birthdays.”

 

“I _like_ kids, you fuck.”

 

“Not with that mouth.”

 

“Blow me. Your nephews are hilarious, they love you and you're great with them. Don't act like you don't like kids, Jack.”

 

“No, but I sure do like to give 'em back when they start crying.” Jack squeezed Gabriel a little tighter. “I don't think I want to deal with that kind of pressure. There's this wild expectation that you just _know_ exactly what to do when someone shoves a kid in your arms, and I don't, and I don't want to be expected to.”

 

“Jack, it's not that--”

 

“Honey, if it's alright, can we just,” Jack sighed. “I just don't feel like talking about it.”

 

Gabriel hummed instead of replying, refocusing his attention on the movie and the warmth Jack's furnace of a body gave off. He rolled the conversation over in his head, wanting to ask Jack exactly what he meant. Maybe coming from a big family made him feel a bit differently, but there was always kids around, including blood relatives he was responsible for. He had never felt any pressure, just a fierce streak of protectiveness-- and it's not like they wouldn't be doing it together.

 

They were still young, though; Gabriel was a middle child, Jack the youngest in his family. Jack had just cracked thirty, while Gabriel was a month away from thirty-two. There was still time, of course, but bringing up his nieces and nephews made wistfulness bloom in his chest. As it stood though, with this positions, with their jobs, and with how the United Nations used Overwatch's commanders as their personal attack dogs, there was really no place to raise a child.

 

At least not for them.

 

Shoving the thought from his mind – seriously, he had _just_ hit his thirties, his sisters had settled down way before he did – he grabbed Jack's roving hand and kissed the man's knuckles, getting another squeeze in return.

 

This was enough.

 

* * *

 

 

Their little bubble of peace didn't end till the next afternoon. Gabriel had a pretty strict rule about work talk in the house-- it was how they got into most of their disagreements, it was where there were secrets and truths omitted where lies weren't allowed – and yet, Jack _had_ to take a call from the President of France. Gabriel rolled his eyes at the man's voice coming from their living room; his accent was grating, his voice shrill, and it was clear he was flustered and needed someone else to deal with it.

 

What bothered Gabriel was that Ana was Jack's second in command. She was more than capable of taking his place when he was on leave, so it felt like, at least to Gabriel incredibly disrespectful not to speak to Amari for Overwatch matters when Jack was supposed to be on leave.

 

When Jack finally walked out of the living room, looking harried, he was rubbing his face.

 

“So, what was so important that he couldn't bug Ana about it?” Gabriel asked, frowning when Jack gave him a half glare. He rolled his eyes. This was exactly why Gabriel didn't want work in the house; Jack reverted into his stressed, overworked self the second it came into play.  

 

“So, we've got a situation.”

 

Gabriel made the 'go on' sound, and Jack plopped next to him.

 

“Alright, basically, he wanted to talk to _you_ but you're on leave and--”

 

“So are you.”

 

“Doesn't matter,” Jack snapped, “And he was pissed that he couldn't talk to you. I got grilled for it, and now I have to relay the message to you.”

 

“Jack...” Gabriel said, a note of warning in his voice. “What's the problem.”

 

“First, you need a second in command, because I'm not your second anymore. And more importantly, how do you feel about pirates?”

 

Gabriel sat up, and raised an eyebrow in lieu of replying, and Jack huffed. The rule was no work at home, Gabriel could be as annoyed as he wanted.

 

“Long bullshit aside, a French dignitary was overseeing the delivery of France's mobile launch platform after some repairs. The ship got hijacked by pirates, and as it turns out, there's warheads on the ship. Warheads and pirates do not mix, so you have to round up your best Blackwatch boys and get in there and I quote “handle the fucking issue,” because the pirates' demands aren't going to fly.”

 

Gabriel almost laughed. This was just business as usual, a country said jump, Overwatch asked how high and Blackwatch did the jump. He got to his feet, knowing perfectly well that if he was being _personally_ asked for, this was a high stakes mission, and he had to get out to sea as fast as possible.

 

“I'm sorry, babe.”

 

“Did you make the order for Blackwatch to handle it?”

 

Jack frowned. “No? This could have been handled by Overwatch, but Jacques insisted.”

 

“Then it's not your fault.”

 

“I know but-- Still. You were supposed to get two days off, and it's been eighteen hours.” Jack ran his hands up his arms, glancing up at his boyfriend.

 

Gabriel strode back over to the couch, sliding easily into Jack's lap. “Do you know when the jet is?”

 

“Three hours. I'm going to leave a little while after you. Don't wanna be here if you're not.”

 

“Then we've got an hour and a half.” Gabriel replied, sliding off Jack's lap and onto the floor.

 

“For what?” Jack asked, narrowing his eyes as Gabriel spread his legs.

 

“I'm sure I'll find something to do down here.”

 

“ _Jesus,_ Gabriel.”


End file.
